Online vs In Person Tutoring: Which is Better?

If a teacher had been told in 1960 that it would one day be possible to teach without the students and the teacher being in the same classroom, they would never have believed it. After a technological revolution and the rise of the Internet, online tutoring has become possible.

Key Takeaways

• The choice between online and in-person tutoring depends on your child’s needs, learning style, and goals.
• Online tutoring is flexible, affordable, and great for independent learners with busy schedules.
• In-person tutoring offers structure, routine, and hands-on support, ideal for exam prep or younger students.
• The quality of education depends more on the tutor and teaching approach than the format itself.
• Platforms like FindTutors and GoStudent offer free trial lessons to help you find the right fit before committing.

Online and In Person Tutoring: Features Compared

Online tuition has seen rapid growth in recent years and continues to gain momentum alongside traditional face-to-face lessons. When considering online vs in-person tutoring, it's worth exploring the unique advantages each method offers.

How to decide between online and in-person tutoring?

Choosing the right format for private tutoring isn’t about which method is better overall, it’s about what suits you or your child best. To help make that decision, try asking yourself a few key questions:

• What kind of learning environment helps you or your child focus best?
  Do you or your child thrive in a quiet, familiar space at home, or do they benefit from being in a dedicated, in-person setting with fewer distractions?

• How important is flexibility in your weekly schedule?
  Would you benefit from being able to fit lessons around other activities with minimal travel time?

• Do you have easy access to experienced tutors in your area?
  If certain subjects or exam boards are hard to find locally, would online tutoring open up more options?

• How confident are you with using technology?
  Would you or your child enjoy using digital tools and interacting online, or do you or your child feel more comfortable with face-to-face communication?

• What’s the main goal of getting a tutor?
  Is it about consistent support and homework help, or intensive preparation for a specific exam? The answer might help steer the decision.

By thinking through these kinds of questions, you’re more likely to find a tutoring setup that fits your needs, not just logistically, but also in terms of how you learn best and your long-term goals.

Advantages of Online Learning

Online tutoring offers a range of benefits that suit modern learners and busy families. From flexibility to expanded access, here are some advantages of online tutoring:

1. Accessibility: With online tutoring, students can access tutors from anywhere, at any time, as long as they have a high-speed internet connection. This makes it ideal for students who have busy schedules or live in remote areas where access to in-person tutoring may be limited.

2. Convenience: Online tutoring platforms also offer flexible scheduling, allowing students to book private tutoring sessions at times that suit them best. In contrast, in-person tutoring requires students to travel to a physical location, which can be time-consuming and may not be feasible for students with busy schedules.

3. Time flexibility: Online tutoring does not require moving or renting a space, so it is much easier to combine the schedules of tutors and students. Additionally, online tutoring allows for more flexible scheduling, enabling students to book sessions at convenient times, including evenings and weekends.

4. Cheaper: Online tutoring is usually cheaper than in person tuition, since there are no expenses to cover, such as: transport, classroom rental, electricity, etc…

5. You can choose your classroom: The advantage of being able to connect from home or from the library is that you can choose where to have your lesson and adapt your space to your needs.

6. Technology: Tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and interactive whiteboard platforms allow online tutoring to be as effective and efficient as possible. The implementation of these platforms means that we are constantly evolving our technological knowledge and online lessons are becoming more and more efficient.

7. Progress tracking: Online tutoring often includes progress monitoring features that track student improvement, providing valuable insights for both students and tutors.

8. Priorities when choosing a tutor change: With online tuition, we only have to make sure that we like the tutor and that they suit our educational needs. Online tutoring offers a practical, effective, and flexible solution for anyone deciding between online and in-person tutoring.

When Might Online Tutoring Not Be the Right Fit?

Even though online tutoring offers many advantages, it’s not the best choice for everyone. Here are some potential downsides to online tutoring:

• Socialisation: Although the experience of online tuition is generally positive, most agree that some of the social interaction between student and tutor is lost through the screen.

• Distraction: The virtual environment gives us multiple possibilities and advantages when giving or receiving private tutoring, but it is also true that both students and tutors highlight that it is easier to get distracted with online tuition.

• Requires good technology: Although access to the Internet and technology is widespread in today's society, it is also true that not everyone has the necessary resources. In order to have a good experience with online tuition, it is necessary to have high quality resources.

• Screen overuse: Nowadays we spend most of our day glued to a screen, whether for work or studies. Adding online tuition to your day-to-day life therefore requires adding time in front of a screen and not being able to disconnect from the Internet.

• The learner may not take the class as seriously: There is a prejudice associated with online tuition which is that it is not as important and is of lower quality. This may result in the learner not giving enough importance to the class they are receiving.

Advantages of Face-to-Face Tutoring

While online learning has become increasingly popular, face-to-face tutoring still holds a number of benefits that many students and parents continue to value. Here are some key advantages of traditional in-person tutoring:

1. Closer bond: Traditional in person tutoring allows the tutor and student to bond, which directly favours the student’s academic results. The direct “in person” environment without being separated by a screen makes for a closer and more immediate relationship.
2. No technology gap: The technology gap is the main disadvantage of online tuition. Not everyone has access to a good computer and a fast and stable web connection, so there is inequality. Equality opportunity prevails in in-person tutoring.
3. Motivation: In-person private tuition requires a kind of routine that helps to motivate students to take the class and to feel connected to the knowledge that is being imparted.
4. No technical problems: As there is no technology involved, the quality of the class does not depend on the quality of the internet connection or the quality of the computer.
5. Procrastination is avoided: The Internet is an open window to knowledge, but, beware, it is also a source of distraction. One of the main advantages of in-person tutoring over online tuition is that procrastination and distraction are considerably reduced.
6. Hands-on learning: In-person tutoring is often seen as more effective for subjects requiring hands-on demonstrations, such as science experiments or art techniques, where direct interaction with materials is crucial.

When Might Face-to-Face Lessons Not Be the Right Fit?

Although face-to-face tutoring can be incredibly effective, it’s not always the most convenient choice. In some cases, choosing to work with a tutor online may be more suitable for you. Here are a few reasons why in-person lessons might not be ideal for everyone:

• Less availability: The number of students that can be taught by a single tutor is smaller.

• Travel time: With in-person tutoring, the time lost in transport is considerable, especially if a tutor has many students and each one is in a different part of the city.

• It limits the possibilities: The Internet is huge and students from anywhere in the world can be put in contact with tutors from all over the globe. If we limit ourselves to finding tutors in our area, we might miss out on a wider range of qualified options available online.

• Attendance and fixed timetable: With in person tutoring, there is much less flexibility, as the schedules of a face-to-face tutor are much more restricted than those of an online tutor.

• Cost: The price of a face-to-face class is usually more than that of an online lesson. Good tutors who have been doing this for a long time know that if they want to make a living from private tuition, they have to live on a small number of students who value their work highly.

How is Quality of Education Affected by Online Tutoring

It’s not whether your child receives online tutoring or in person tutoring that affects the quality, it’s about the platform, the tutor, and the connection you build with them.

A good tutor will use the right tools and create a space where you feel supported and confident. Whether it’s a face-to-face session or an online lesson, what really matters is how the tutor teaches, how well they communicate, and how engaged you feel throughout.

The best way to figure out what works best? Book a free trial lesson. Many online tutoring platforms, such as FindTutors and GoStudent, offer free sessions so you can experience different teaching styles and see what suits you before committing.

Choosing the Right Tutoring Format for Your Child

Every child is different. Some thrive with the independence of an online classroom. Others prefer the structure of in-person learning and direct social interaction.

Think about your child’s learning style:

• Visual or auditory learners may benefit from online tools and digital content, so choosing to work with a tutor online can be a smart choice.

• Kinesthetic learners might engage more with physical, hands-on tasks in a face-to-face interaction, so choosing in-person private tutoring can be a smart choice.

Use their confidence, motivation, and learning habits to guide your decision.

Tutoring Environment: Face-to-Face vs Online Tutoring

The learning environment plays a big role in how students engage with their tutor and absorb information.

• In-person tutoring offers a traditional classroom feel with direct, face-to-face interaction which is ideal for students who benefit from structure and routine.

• Online tutoring, by contrast, creates a flexible, virtual learning environment where lessons happen through video conferencing software and interactive tools.

Both options can support strong learning outcomes. The right choice depends on what environment helps your child feel most focused, comfortable, and motivated.

UK Private Tutoring Cost Comparison

In the UK, tutoring costs vary depending on the mode of delivery, subject, and tutor experience.​

• Online Tutoring: The average hourly rate of finding a tutor online is approximately £31, with prices typically ranging between £20 and £40. ​

• Face-to-Face Tutoring: In-person tutoring rates are generally higher, averaging £36 per hour, and can range from £50+, especially in major cities like London. ​

These figures suggest that online tutoring provides a more cost-effective solution for many families, providing flexibility and access to a broader range of tutors without the additional expenses associated with travel and venue costs.​

Is face-to-face tuition or online tuition better?

There is no clear answer. It depends on what you need the lessons for. If you need intensive lessons to prepare for your GCSEs or A Levels, for example, face-to-face classes could be a better choice as they allow for better concentration and routine.

If, on the other hand, you are learning something for purely leisure purposes or you are reinforcing knowledge in a field you have already more or less mastered, finding a tutor online is a great choice. You will not feel that you are investing more time, effort or money than you should.

For many families, online education can improve academic performance while boosting a child's confidence through one-on-one attention and personalised support.

To find out what is best for you, evaluate your situation, be honest with yourself and think about whether a tutor online would work for you or whether you need a human presence to get serious about your studies.